Political Quotes

“Right. What we have done in the Military Commissions Act in 2009, civilians, American citizens cannot be tried in military commissions. It can only go to Federal court. But the point we are trying to make is it has been long held in this country that when an American citizen abroad or on the homeland decides to help the enemy, we have the right to hold them, not under a criminal theory but under the law of war because their effort to help the enemy, I say to my good friend from Illinois, is an act of war against their fellow citizens. This is so important. If we deny our country the ability to hold and interrogate an American citizen who has joined forces with al-Qaida, we lose the ability to find out the intelligence they may have to keep us safe. If the choice is that an American citizen who chooses to collaborate with al-Qaida must be put in the criminal justice system, meaning they will have criminalized the war, the Congress will have restricted executive branch power. To make it clear--please understand, I say to Senator Feinstein--the courts of the United States have acknowledged that the executive branch can hold an American citizen as an enemy combatant when they engage and assist the enemy. The courts of the United States recognize the power of the executive to do that as Commander in Chief.…”